Trolling Made Easy: How to Quickly Master Multi-Line Fishing for Walleye, Salmon, Musky and Crappie

Practical Tips to Help Any Angler Enjoy More Productive, Tangle-Free Fishing

Trolling multiple lines can feel intimidating to the average angler, but the rewards are great, and a few simple tips make it easy to master. / Kurt Mazurek

Table of Contents

1. How To Troll Multiple Lines
2. Pro Tips for Easy Trolling
3. Getting Your Boards In Line
4. The Best Fishing Reel for Trolling
5. Using a Variety of Baits
6. How To Attach the Board
7. Ready to Land More Walleye?

Trolling has long been known as one of the most efficient ways to catch fish. For species like walleye, salmon, musky and even crappie, this deadly method for presenting multiple baits is hard to beat. But, the idea of setting and managing multiple lines without tangling can be intimidating to the uninitiated. Well, here’s some good news! It isn’t nearly as complicated as it looks, and with a few tips and a little practice you’ll soon be getting the most out of every chance you get to hit the water.

THIS VIDEO FROM CHURCH TACKLE TEACHES THE WHOLE PROCESS IN MINUTES

How To Troll Multiple Lines

The demonstration in the attached video above and in the instructions below is for running a total of six lines, three port-side and three starboard-side, but the same instructions are true for four, eight, or even ten lines. Just make sure you know the laws for trolling and number of lines per angler for the particular water you’re fishing.

You may be surprised to learn, setting and managing multiple trolling lines without tangling can easily be a one-person job. / Kurt Mazurek

Walleye tournament angler and owner of Church Tackle, Jason Julien makes it look easy. “It’s easiest if you set the outside line first and progress toward the inside from there,” advises Julien. “I'm going to run my longest leads on the outside and then shorter leads on the lines closer to the boat.”

The “lead” refers to the distance from the lure to the planer board. These amounts can vary depending on the specific lures and the depth you’re trying to get your lures to run. In this case, he’s setting a 50-foot lead for his outside line.

Once he has let the lure out 50-feet, he will attach the planer board. In this case, Julien is using the Church Tackle Walleye Board. This board is a good match for the size and style of baits he’s running, but Church Tackle has a wide variety of boards for all styles and sizes of baits and fish species.

Once the board is attached to the line, he’ll disengage the reel’s spool to let more line out. Almost immediately, the planer board will start to do its job and plane out to the side of the boat.

With these tips and a little practice you’ll soon be getting the most out of every chance you get to hit the water. / Kurt Mazurek

Julien says, “I always try to let my boards out on the clicker.” The clicker is a feature on many reels designed for this style of fishing, which makes that “stereotypical fishing reel sound”, clicking as the reel’s spool turns. “First of all, the clicking makes it easy to tell if the boards are going out away from the boat. And also, you can hear it if a fish hits that lure. The clicks will start going faster, almost screaming, so you know you have a fish on.”

Once that outside board is on it’s way into position, he’ll start letting the second lure out. “Our number two board will be a 40-foot lead.” Once the lure is 40-feet behind the boat, he’ll attach another planer board to the line and feed it out behind the boat until it falls into place.

Yes, this overhead view makes it look like there's a lot going on, but these tips can make trolling multiple lines an easy and super efficient way to catch a ton of fish. / Kurt Mazurek

For the third line on this side of the boat, our most inside line, we’re going to use a 30-foot lead. When the lure is 30-feet behind the boat, attach another planer board and send it on its way.

Once these three lines are set, simply repeat the process on the other side of the boat.

Pro Tips for Easy Trolling

So, that’s the basic layout for trolling multiple lines. Following are some specific tips to add to that plan and improve your efficiency.

Getting Your Boards In Line

When all your lines are out, you’ll want to make adjustments to your planer board positions by either increasing or decreasing the amount of line between the rod and the planer board. Ideally, you want your boards to be trailing behind your boat in a shallow V-formation when seen from above. The board on your outside line will be the farthest behind the boat, and the board on your inside line will be the closest to your boat.

“Yeah, the goal is to have your boards running in a straight line. That way, whether it’s a fish on or a weed fouling your lure, you’ll more easily notice your board falling out of formation and be able to react more quickly.

The Best Fishing Reel for Trolling

It isn’t absolutely necessary, but if you can use reels with a built-in line counter to keep track of the amount of line you've fed of of the spool, it will make it much easier to keep all of your boards and baits organized in precise formation. Julien has found that the Shimano Tekota has all the features he needs, including a line counter, a clicker and a smooth drag system, but there are many other brands and options available.

Technically, you can use any reel to get you started trolling, but for the most precise control you'll want a model that includes a line counter. / Kurt Mazurek

Using a Variety of Baits

In this example, we’re using crankbaits which all dive to the same depth. If you are running a variety of baits, position the deepest diving bait on your inside line and your shallowest running bait on the outside. This positioning will make it a lot easier to avoid tangling lines when reeling in to check or change lures or when reeling in a fish.

Effective crankbaits come in a variety of depths and sizes. Controlling that variety without tangling lines while trolling is easier than you think. / Kurt Mazurek

How To Attach the Board

When you attach the planer board to the line, attach it within an inch or two of the tip of the rod. Julien explains, “If you're two feet down the line from the rod tip, that's a 52-foot lead. So, to keep everything accurate, try to get it close to the tip.”

The Church Tackle Walleye Board is the perfect choice for most walleye fishing, but it's also great for lots of other species. / Kurt Mazurek

Ready to Land More Walleye?

Running multiple planer boards looks more complicated than it really is. It does take a little practice, but the effort will be rewarded with a lifetime of great fishing. And, keep in mind that Church Tackle has a huge, and constantly growing, collection of how-to videos on their Church Tackle YouTube channel and website.

READ THESE NEXT:
Minnesota DNR Considering Lower Daily Walleye Limit
World Record Muskie Caught on Lake Mille Lacs